Director, Lab Systems Engineering

General / Position Summary

The Director, Business Engagement & Technology, Lab Solutions will lead a team responsible for the architecture, delivery, security, support, and continuous evolution of enterprise laboratory technology platforms – including laboratory Operational Technology (OT) such asinformation/cyber security, sensors, and IoT enabled lab environments-across all Vertexlabs and manufacturing shop floors. This role serves as a senior technology and business partner, ensuring reliable, compliant, and scalable lab operations while advancing the future of the physical and digital laboratory.

Operating within highly regulatedGxPand SOX environments, the Director is accountable for operational excellence, financial stewardship, and risk management across a complex laboratory technology landscape, including ownership of an approximately $10M annual operating budget. In parallel, the role provides strategic leadership in identifying, piloting, and scaling innovative technologies—such as intelligent and agentic workflows, passive data capture from laboratory endpoints,IoT‑enabledenvironments, and wearable orsensor‑basedsolutions—to accelerate scientific outcomes and enablenext‑generationlab capabilities.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Build and sustain strong,trust‑basedrelationships with senior business, quality, and DTE leaders, acting as a strategic partner with sustained impact on enterprise laboratory goals.
• Lead, develop, andretaina highly effective Lab Engineering Support team, leveraging internal resources and external partners through a managed service provider model.
• Ensure stable, secure, and compliant laboratory technology operations across both IT andOT environments by implementingindustry‑standardbest practices aligned with cyber security, ITSM, ITIL, and DTE system lifecycle standards.
• Serve as the primary point of accountability for laboratory technology(including laboratory IT and OT systems)operatingwithinGxP‑andSOX‑regulatedenvironments, partnering closely with DTE Compliance, Cyber Security, Internal Audit, and Quality Assurance.
• Own and manage an approximately $10M operating budget, ensuring disciplined financial planning, forecasting, vendor management, and value realization across services and platforms.
• Partner with business stakeholders across the enterprise to manage and prioritize service demand, balancing operational stability, risk, and strategic investment.
• Oversee a portfolio of programs, projects, platform releases, and enhancements, ensuringhigh‑qualitydelivery, adherence to timelines, and alignment with business outcomes.
• Establish, track, and communicate operational performance metrics,financial impact, and value drivers associated with laboratory technology investments.
• Continuously enhance internal processes related to security, demand management, resource planning, project delivery, platform releases, and ongoing operational support.
• Leadtechnology‑driveninitiatives that modernize the laboratory environment by evaluating and advancing emerging capabilities such as intelligent automation, agentic workflows, passive data capture,IoT‑enabledinstruments, and connected lab environments.
• Translate innovation opportunities into pragmatic, compliant roadmaps that improve scientific productivity, operational efficiency, andlong‑termscalability.
• Document and present complex technical issues, architectural options, and recommendations clearly to technical andnon‑technicalaudiences.
• Manage strategic relationships with technology vendors and service providers to ensure performance, security, compliance, andlong‑termvalue.
• Attract, develop, andretaintop talent; serve as a people manager with full accountability for performance management, talent development, and financial stewardship of assigned staff.

Required Education Level

• Bachelor’s degreerequired(B.S. or equivalent).
• Advanced degree preferred.

Required Experience

• Requires 10+ years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managingenterprise‑scaletechnology platforms and support organizations.
• Proven experienceoperatingwithinGxP‑andSOX‑regulatedenvironments.
• Experience leading complex programs, portfolios, and vendor ecosystems with financial accountability.

Required Knowledge / Skills

• Strongsenior‑levelbusiness engagement and stakeholder partnership capabilities.
• Deep understanding of enterprise technology operations, cyber security, IT service management, and system lifecycle practices.
• Proven people leadership experience with a track recordof building and sustaininghigh‑performingteams.
• Program, portfolio, demand, andfinancial managementexpertise.
• Excellent analytical,problem‑solving, communication, and executive‑levelpresentation skills.
• Ability to balance operational stability with innovation in regulated environments.
• Experience working across global,multi‑sitelaboratory organizations.
• Experienceleveragingmanaged services and external partners at scale.